Wireless communication systems, such as cellular voice and data networks, typically include multiple wireless access nodes spread over a geographic area through which wireless communication devices can register and receive wireless access to communication services. In many examples, the wireless communication devices are mobile, and can move between wireless coverage areas, such as sectors, of the wireless access nodes.
The wireless coverage areas can be associated with more than one frequency band, depending upon the particular transceiver equipment associated with each wireless access node. Some wireless coverage areas might support a first set of frequency bands while other coverage areas might support a different set of frequency bands. For example, a first band class representing a 900 megahertz (MHz) frequency band might be supported at a first sector of a wireless access node, while the first band class and a second band class representing an 1800 MHz frequency band might be supported at another sector of a wireless access node.
Wireless communication devices typically reference a preferred roaming list (PRL) or similar data structure to determine allowed frequency bands and service providers while moving among these various wireless coverage areas. Furthermore, a neighbor list can be distributed from a particular wireless access node to a wireless communication device to indicate which wireless access nodes of a similar frequency band are proximate to the wireless access node distributing the neighbor list. However, when proximate wireless access nodes include different frequency bands, the wireless communication devices typically reference a PRL to establish further wireless access.